Executive Summary

Next Tuesday will change the nation in fundamental ways. It will not only see the country choose a different direction, but a different electorate will turnout to make this decision. The voters who go to the polls will likely be younger, more progressive, more diverse racially and include a higher proportion of unmarried women. All of these groups have, historically, been under-represented in our democracy.

Until now.

Key Findings

A recent survey of 1,030 likely women voters underscores these points. Unmarried women are nearly as energized as married women and support Barack Obama by a 62 - 33 percent margin. In contrast, the presidential race is only tied (45 - 48 percent McCain) among married women.

Unmarried women also seem to be playing a disproportionate role in the wave of early voting we are experiencing. Fully one in four (23 percent) plan to vote early, compared to 16 percent among married women.

Methodology

This survey was conducted by Democratic polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, on behalf of the Women’s Voices. Women. It surveyed 1,030 respondents between October 26-28, 2008 in the battleground states of Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. The survey carries a margin of error of +/- 3.0 at a 95 percent confidence level.